Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-09-07

ter. A village can get along quite
comfortably without sewers, or streets
or sidewalks. But when city gath
ers a population of approximating
100, 900 souls, a change is demanded.
While the village streets may safely
be made corral for all the horses in
the neighborhood to stand along them
all day, and every day in the week,
a city is usually the center of too
large a population, within and with
out her gates to make such use OF
the streets desirable, either on the
ground of comfort or OF safety.
1t is pleasant to know that steps are
being taken by the city authorities to
work prompt and radical change
in many respects. There have,
OF course, long been ordinances
and means OF enforcing them looking
to regulating some of these matters
These have answered more or less
perfectly in the past, but the rapid
development OF all things in Los An
geles calls in no uncertain tone fol
further Improvements in many re
spects. Our City Attorney is taking
great pains to formulate these needs
OF the city in the best way. One o
the proposed changes will serve as
an illustration of what is looked to
This is to obtain an office, the walls o
which shall be hung with three series
OF maps of the city. One set shal
show all the streets of the muni
cipality as they exist; and the
graded streets will be distinguished
from those not so improved by
coloring. The second set viii
show in profile all the grade:
of all the streets, with the contour Of
the lots adjoining in each block. This
third set is to show the sewer system
Of the city.
1t is estimated that the expense O.
running this office will be to the city
all told about SO, 900 per annum. This
contemplates a supervisor of build
ings, who shall see that all new
edifices of all sorts shall be put up ac
cording to the ordinances; also, the
appointment of a sanitary plumber
whose duty it shall be to see that al
the water-works in building, the
waste-pipes for kitchens and bath
tubs and their connections with the
sewers shall be in accordance witt
the best known principles of sanitary
engineering. There will be beside,
these a clerk of the Board of Public
Works, who will be in the office
at all hours to answer questions ant
attend to the wants of citizens.
And, by the way, some time ago al
ordinance was introduced into the
Council looking to the employment o
a sanitary plumber to superintend the
erection of new buildings. 1t was re
ferred to the Board of Health, and
has not since been heard of. A re
port on this head would be of interest
to the public. There are very many
people who do not understand the
principles of sanitation. A grea
many buildings are put up without
the advice OF an architect. 1t is c
great importance that the plumbing c
buildings should be properly done
This concerns the entire population
for if an epidemic breaks out in on
house it is hard to say where it vii
stop.
This new order of things cannot b
effected without some expense; bu
here is where wisdom begins and fool
ishness ends. 1t is cheaper to dc
work under a system than to do it il
any happy-go-luck absence of method
System is always in the line of econ
omy. Then there is the health of the
city to consider, besides the safety o
life and limb in case of fire or fall
ing buildings. Expenditure at th'
right point and in the proper way il
economy.